The Daily Money: Home delivery from Home Depot; what does it mean to be middle class?

Good morning, Daily Money folks, it's Jayme Deerwester here covering for Nathan. As a gif told me this morning, It's Wednesday, which means tomorrow is pre-Friday.

Ever been in the middle of a do-it-yourself home renovation project and realized you needed something you didn't have? You no longer have to wander the aisles of Home Depot or even walk to the online order pickup area, thanks to a new home-delivery service they're partnering on with Walmart. 

Home Depot is the first retailer to join Walmart’s new white-label GoLocal delivery service. Deliveries with the service will be available in select markets in coming weeks, and there are plans to expand to additional markets across the country by the end of the year. It will be available to both professional contractors and DIYers.

You may consider yourself middle class, but are you, actually? These days, the answer isn't as simple as looking at your income, which has long been the determining factor for your place in the economic pecking order. 

A 2010 White House report defined middle-class aspirations as: owning a home; owning a car; affording college education for you children; health and retirement security; and occasional family vacations.

But a number of factors can delay any or all of those goals. For example, someone may earn a high salary but be saddled with student debt, delaying potential home ownership and other milestones in their transition to the middle class. Meanwhile, a dual-income couple with young children may be devoting the equivalent of a mortgage payment to child care.

While we're on the subject, here's a look at what income it takes to be considered middle-class in every U.S. state.

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On to our ... 

💡 INSIGHT OF THE DAY: These days, we all have a lot of pent-up stress and talking about it helps. But before you get ready to unload on a friend or co-worker, consider asking them if they're up to having a deep conversation right now.  If they're not, then you're not venting; you are trauma-dumping. Find out more about what it is and why it's not fair to the other person.

📰 And here are more stories you won't want to miss:

1. Donald Trump has dropped off Forbes' 25 richest people list.  According to the outlet, Trump’s wealth is down $600 million since the start of the pandemic, largely a result of his big-city properties taking a hit during the pandemic.  

2.  Target is adding 'buy now pay later' options.  The retailer is offering shoppers additional ways to pay for their holiday gift purchases with new installment plans from Affirm and Sezzle.

3. Don't buy into 'buying the dip.'  Investing doesn't have to be 'all-or-nothing'. Here's how to not lose out in the market.

And finally: I'm not a fan of inspirational quotes – unless they're coming out of the mouth of Ted Lasso, that is. So here's one that doesn't make me cringe: “Be curious. Not judgmental.”

— Jayme Deerwester